In the days leading up to Wednesday night’s friendly between Nigeria and Scotland at Craven Cottage, an investigation was launched into potential match fixing related to this game and reported to involve the Asian betting market.

The National Crime Agency, who were reported to be investigating the potential case, refused to confirm the reports and the game went ahead as normal.

Following a cross from Nigeria’s right, the ball was somehow thrown into his own net by Nigerian ‘keeper Austin Ejide. The goal was ultimately disallowed however for a (soft) foul on the ‘keeper but it looked very odd.

Now we are not for one second claiming that anything untoward relating to match fixing was going on here, but it is sure to get some people questioning the nature of the incident, no?

12Comments

And the morals of the story are:
1. Wagering on friendlies is for the foolhardy;
2. Wagering on Nigeria matches is at least as foolhardy; and
3. At least one referee has concluded that doing the “right thing” outweighs his duty to call the game as the players play it.

What sort of goal keeping is that? Keshi needs to investigate this act of madness from Ejike. There are other better goalkeepers who are ready to defend the country’s football integrity. This is just too obvious.

It looks to me like a simple fluke. He went to grab the ball with two hands and was bumped by the Scott at the very last 2nd. His left hand which was to pull the ball to the right was thrown off and the ball went into the net.
Anyone who has played as a goalkeeper or played basketball will understand how contact can force you to loose the ball or throw it in an unintended direction.

I don’t actually see this as intentional…the scotish who jumped up with him was not having the intention to nod the ball but to push him aside…on the virge of doing so,the left hand side of Ejide that holds the ball was hit by the Scotish and it authomatically sends the ball inside our own net…it wasn’t intentional at all.

I see nothing unusual here. I see a keeper going for the ball and a defender bumping into him. I see the ball leaving the keeper’s hands as they were smacked by the defender. Ball could have gone anywhere and it went into the net. Non-story.